Montclair, NJ - The Department of Athletics has announced Kelly Whiteside, Associate Professor in the School of Communication and Media, was selected as the MSU Athletics Staff/Faculty/Admin of the Month for March.
Whiteside oversees Montclair's bachelor's program in Sports Communication, which introduces students to diverse careers in the ever-changing, fast-paced industry of sports media while preparing them as writers, producers, and directors of dynamic media content. The major delivers hands-on experience in sports media production and storytelling, from broadcast content, analytics, play-by-play opportunities, radio and digital news writing, to public relations and social media – done in partnership with Red Hawk Athletics and broadcast via the University's own Red Hawk Sports Network.
Prior to joining the faculty at Montclair, Whiteside spent 14 years at USA Today as the national college football writer and also specialized in covering the Olympics and World Cup. She has covered seven Olympic Games, nine World Cups (men's and women's) as well as the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and multiple college sports. She was also the first female president of the Football Writers Association of America. Prior to joining USA Today, she was a reporter at Newsday and a staff writer at Sports Illustrated.
Most recently, Whiteside was named to the College Football Selection Committee – the body responsible for selecting the top 25 NCAA Division I teams in the nation and the four teams who vie for the national title in the annual College Football Playoff.
"Professor Whiteside has been tackling things left and right while keeping our class engaged," said dual-sport athlete Cameryn Martin, a Communication major. "Her commitment to having her students learn while trying to teach multiple classes, running the Red Hawk Sports Network, and being an advisor is nothing short of remarkable. She is a legend, and I am honored to have her as a professor."
MSU Athletics will recognize a new staff/faculty/administrator each month for their support of MSU Athletics, coaches, staff, and student-athletes.
